diff --git a/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSplitViewController.swift b/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSplitViewController.swift
index 2c48052c..e5ad98f9 100644
--- a/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSplitViewController.swift
+++ b/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainSplitViewController.swift
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ extension MainSplitViewController: UISplitViewControllerDelegate {
             
         case let .tab(tab):
             // sidebar items that map 1 <-> 1 can be transferred directly
-            tabBarViewController.select(tab: tab)
+            tabBarViewController.select(tab: tab, dismissPresented: false)
             
         case .explore:
             // Search sidebar item maps to the Explore tab with the search controller/results visible
@@ -268,10 +268,10 @@ extension MainSplitViewController: UISplitViewControllerDelegate {
             // Transfer the navigation stack, dropping the search VC, to keep anything the user has opened
             transferNavigationStack(from: .explore, to: exploreNav, dropFirst: true, append: true)
             
-            tabBarViewController.select(tab: .explore)
+            tabBarViewController.select(tab: .explore, dismissPresented: false)
             
         case .bookmarks, .favorites, .list(_), .savedHashtag(_), .savedInstance(_):
-            tabBarViewController.select(tab: .explore)
+            tabBarViewController.select(tab: .explore, dismissPresented: false)
             // Make sure the Explore VC doesn't show its search bar when it appears, in case the user was previously
             // in compact mode and performing a search.
             let exploreNav = tabBarViewController.viewController(for: .explore) as! UINavigationController
diff --git a/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainTabBarViewController.swift b/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainTabBarViewController.swift
index dc3b81b3..fde598c3 100644
--- a/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainTabBarViewController.swift
+++ b/Tusker/Screens/Main/MainTabBarViewController.swift
@@ -111,13 +111,13 @@ class MainTabBarViewController: UITabBarController, UITabBarControllerDelegate {
         repositionFastSwitcherIndicator()
     }
     
-    func select(tab: Tab) {
+    func select(tab: Tab, dismissPresented: Bool) {
         if tab == .compose {
             compose(editing: nil)
         } else {
             // when switching tabs, dismiss the currently presented VC
             // otherwise the selected tab changes behind the presented VC
-            if presentedViewController != nil {
+            if presentedViewController != nil && dismissPresented {
                 dismiss(animated: true) {
                     self.selectedIndex = tab.rawValue
                 }
@@ -291,18 +291,18 @@ extension MainTabBarViewController: TuskerRootViewController {
     func select(route: TuskerRoute, animated: Bool) {
         switch route {
         case .timelines:
-            select(tab: .timelines)
+            select(tab: .timelines, dismissPresented: true)
         case .notifications:
-            select(tab: .notifications)
+            select(tab: .notifications, dismissPresented: true)
         case .myProfile:
-            select(tab: .myProfile)
+            select(tab: .myProfile, dismissPresented: true)
         case .explore:
-            select(tab: .explore)
+            select(tab: .explore, dismissPresented: true)
         case .bookmarks:
-            select(tab: .explore)
+            select(tab: .explore, dismissPresented: true)
             getNavigationController().pushViewController(BookmarksViewController(mastodonController: mastodonController), animated: animated)
         case .list(id: let id):
-            select(tab: .explore)
+            select(tab: .explore, dismissPresented: true)
             if let list = mastodonController.getCachedList(id: id) {
                 let nav = getNavigationController()
                 _ = nav.popToRootViewController(animated: animated)
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ extension MainTabBarViewController: TuskerRootViewController {
             return
         }
         
-        select(tab: .explore)
+        select(tab: .explore, dismissPresented: true)
         exploreNavController.popToRootViewController(animated: false)
         
         // setting searchController.isActive directly doesn't work until the view has loaded/appeared for the first time